Flames
by goldenmagma
Summary: Besides, she was just an addiction. The human version of cocaine, the flames burning your life. She wasn't good for you anyways. jade/tori, oneshot.


_**Flames**_

You knew that it was never supposed to happen. This _thing_, this desperate, horrid monster taking over both of you that you called a relationship. Well, not officially. Beck doesn't know that the girl he loves is going behind his back. But what's wrong with that? What you don't know doesn't kill you, right? You feel like somehow, someway, there's good coming out of this. You two getting along _is_ making your group a lot more pleasant, anyways. All of your friends seem to love how well everyone is cooperating- but the guilt eats you away.

You can't even look her in the eye during school. It's the same for her, too, but it's painful. One second you're smiling at her, lying with her in the dark, and the next you're afraid to even acknowledge her presence. But you can still feel her. You can sense her standing near you, desperately trying to be near you without making anyone suspicious. It's like a twisted game of hide and seek. You don't want to be alone, but you run from her anyway.

Besides, it's not like anyone would ever be suspicious of the two of you. Who would suspect it?

You're lying in her bed, panting and trying to catch your breath. She traces a finger down your bare arm and smiles up at you. It's not a whole smile, though. You can sense how broken she feels and is. You know that she thinks you don't see through her, though, so you just go with it.

"That was great," she lets out.

"Yeah."

She does that broken smile thing again and plays with a lock of your hair. It takes some courage, but you look at her, directly into her eyes, and say, "You know we shouldn't do this anymore. We _can't_ do this anymore."

"I know."

"So why are we doing this?" you choke out.

"Because I can't let you go."

And that was the end of it. No more words, no more thoughts, just being there. With each other. Trying to become two puzzle pieces that actually fit together, when they're broken and mangled and not even scissors and scotch tape and glue can manage to piece them together. (but you're kind of okay with being that way. it's what makes this so exciting.)

Beck comes up to you a couple weeks later. He's mad; madder than you've ever imagined him to be and he has red eyes that are staring directly at you. He drags you into the janitor's closet and locks the door. "You're who Jade was cheating with? You? Of all people, Tori, _you_ betray me. _You_ take the girl I love away from me. Why would you do this to me?"

You put your head down, eyeing the tile ground. "How did you know?" you ask quietly.

"You seriously think I wouldn't find out eventually? She told me."

"Oh."

"Oh? Oh? Tori, you spent months fucking my girlfriend behind my back and all you have to say to me is oh?"

"Tell me what to say, then."

"Tell me you're sorry, goddamn it! Tell me that it wasn't supposed to happen and that it didn't mean anything! Tell me that you wish it never happened and that you can't turn back time but you wish you could. Tell me that you never meant for it to be this way and that you don't feel anything for her."

"I would if I could, Beck. I really would."

You walk away, tears forming in your eyes. You push the door leading to the school open and slam it shut as you walk to your car. You don't remember driving, you don't remember getting home, and you certainly don't remember letting Jade into your house and into your room. But she was there and she was staring at you.

"You look like a mess," she teased.

"Oh yeah? I do? Well, it's because I was just talking to your boyfriend, Jade. He was yelling at me and blaming me for everything! You _know_ that you had equal part in this mess."

"Don't call it a mess…" she started.

"Than what do I call it? Huh Jade? Beautiful? Perfect? A real, wholesome relationship? 'Cause we both know that none of that bullshit is true. Don't try and sugarcoat it. It's useless," you yell to her. "We're a huge, giant, undoable mess and you know it, too."

She sits there in silence for a while. You sit down in your desk chair, cross your arms and stare at her. She finally lets out a small whisper. "I know."

That's all it takes. You soften up and bit and walk over to her. You wrap your arm around her shoulder and rest your head on hers. You take a deep breath and say, "This kills me, Jade. It really does, but we can't do this anymore. I can't… be with you."

She sighs and turns to face you. "I know," she repeats. She stares you in the eye, touches your face and kisses you. You kiss her back harder, deeper and with more feeling than you ever have before. You run your hands through her hair and press your body against hers. You two finally separate, but with gloomy faces.

She gets up and you walk her downstairs. You open the door for her, hug her one last time and whisper, "Goodbye, Jade."

And it may just be your wicked, cruel, twisted imagination, but you swear you see a tear when she whispers, "Goodbye, Tori. I love you."

Your eyes fill up with water as you say, "I love you too." And suddenly she's gone. Her car is pulling out of the driveway. The front door is closing, and you slide down the wood entrance and sob.

This is a good thing, you tell yourself. Jade was just a drug; a human cocaine, an unhealthy addiction that needed to be stopped. She was the evil in your blood, the unhappiness in your day, the flames burning your entire life down. But you still love her. And maybe you always will.

**A/N: **Alrighty, so I wanted to write some Jori for a looooong time, but I could never really get it right. I think this is pretty good, though. I'm proud of it. Please review and like and all the jazz. Thank you.


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